Back rest for bathtubs



Dec. 24, 1929. STERN 1,740,791

BACK REST FOR BATHTUBS Filed April 15, 1929 INVENTOR. ML 26/26! 556772,

A TTORNEY.

Pumas. Dec. 24,1929

I UNITED STATES mom STERN, OI PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA Application filed April 18,

The invention has for an object to efiect improvements in bath-tub back rests of the t pe illustrated in my Patent No. 1,390,221, eptember 6, 1921, particularly wlth the urpose of presenting a device which wi be more comfortable or the user, and will have certain other advantages. It is a particular aim to present a construction in one form whereby the device may be mounted without extending over the roll rim of a bath tub in order to obtain support, and where ob]ect1on- .-able appearance 1s minimized. A further purpose is to minimize discomfort incident to .rencountering supporting Farts between the is hands or other portions 0 the body and the ,tub. A. further important aim is to provide a construction in which a head-rest is incorporated in a novel way. Another aim is to provide a novel form of rest adapted to be quickl mounted or dismounted.

Ad itional objects, advantages and features ofinvention reside in the construction, arrangement and combination of parts, as will be understood from the following description and accompanying drawmgs, wherein,

Figure 1 is an elevational view of the back rest in place,

Figure 2 is a similar view of the support alone. a

Figure 3 is a detail of the cross bar of the detachable element.

Figure 4 is a to view of the lug-engaging su ort'member om above.

, lgure 5 is an end view thereof.

Figure 6 is a similar view of a modification. Figure 7 is a front view of the structure of Figure 5, while Figure 8 is a similar view of a modification of Figure 6.

Figure 9 is a lateral elevation of the article of Figure 1 a plied to a tub shown in section.

There is i] ustrated a bath tub 10 of a familiar type having a roll rim 11, although my invention is applicable also to any other style of bath tub, regardless of the form of the rim. There is mounted upon the inner side of this tub a back rest and head support as in Figures 1 and 2. The back rest comprises a 60 base support 12, in the form of a very thin 1889. Serial 10. 854,818.

flat strip of yroxilene, yralin or other aim ilar materia suitable fiir the purpose, this strip being planiform but arched at its middle portion, as shown in Fi ure 2. Adjacent each end there are attached 1n a suitable manner hook-shaped hangers 13, extended upwardly above the bar 12 a distance and thence outwardly and downwardly over the rolled rim of the tub, in order to support the bar 12.

By using an extremely thin, flat materialf w I ing of the device in order to adapt it to such 7 curves. The arched portion 14 of the bar 12 will project upwardly a slight distance beside the outwardly curved part of the tub, and owing to the resiliency and flexibility of the material in the bar 12 1t will afford a resilient head rest, in con'unction with the pad device,

as will be descri ed.

A pad 15 is provided, of a'width and len h to cover the bar 12 and extend downwar y therefrom a suitable distance for the uses con- 30 templated, the upper edge portions of this pad being slotted adjacent each side so that the' hangers 13 may be received in the slots as shown in Figure 1. The parts laterally outward of these slots on each side of the pad 5 comprise securing tongues 16 andare of sufficient len h to extend upwardly over and downwar y behind the bar 12 and into overlapped relation with a portion of the pad below the bar. Two-piece separable fasteners 17 have respective parts secured to the extremity of the tongue and to the body portion of the pad, so that the pad may be retained in proper engagement with the bar 12. The central portion of the pad between the slots may be thickened so as to aflord a pillow portion 18, but when a suitable'material is used of uniform thickness throughout the pad, it

affords a suificient cushion between the head of a person and the upwardly bowed portion 14 of the bar 12 owing to the resilience of the bar. If desired, the outer edge portion of the' pillow part may have fasteners thereon asinthecaseolith'eton'gues16.- a

In Figures 4, 5, and 6 a modification of the support is indicated, in which, instead of the hanger hooks 13, suction cups 20 are set upon the inner face of the tub, and the bar 12, correspondin is detacha ly engaged with the cups;

shown in Figure 5, the suction cup is formed with a bracket arm 22 located near the lower edge of the cup and extending upwardly in close spaced relation to the cup in such men- 15 nerthat the end portion of the bar 12 may be set in the space between the arm and the cup 20. y In order to prevent loose movement of the cross bar, the bar may be made of a. slightly between the arm.

thickness to wedge no 22 and the matenal of the cup, which is ordinarily rubber. In order to prevent casual longitudinal movement of the bar 12 in the mounting, the lower edge of the bar is notched asat23soastoreceive thebase ofthe arm 22 25 therein. I

In 6 to 8 a modification of the connection tween the suction cup and the bar 12" is indicated, in this instance a simple cylindrical stud 24 being formed on the suc- 80 t1on cup coaxial with the cup, while the bar is formed with a circular aperture to snugly fit the stud- The cup and stud of the attaching support the aperture of the cross bar 12", whereby its casual disengagement from the lugs is obviated. If desired, the bar 12 ma be permanentl attached to the tub, as wi be appre .cia and the manner of attaching the pad thereto varied as approved practices may indicate to be desirable. The cross bar 12 may be formed of other materials than pyroxalin or such materials thin non-corrosive or stainle$ spring steelheing also available, as well as other tough and resilient materials.

The pad 15 is preferably formed of sponge rubber sheeting of suitable thickness, and mi be integrally moulded in accordance wit practices in rubber manufacture. Other materials may be used however, as found desirable.

I claim:

1. A back rest for bath tubs comprising thin flat cross bar and bath tub engaging su rt devices therefor, the central part of the ar being arched in its major plane, said bar be fiexible and resilient, and a pad device detac ably attached thereto.

2. A. back rest comprising a thin flat cross bar of flexible resilient material, means to the bar removabl attached to a tub s1 ad acent the upper e ge, said bar having I ll an upwardly bowed portion arranged to exto the bar 12, first de'scribeil, S.

" thereagainst'fthe back of a person sitting in I 3." The" structure of claim 1 in which the bar has a pluralityof laterally spaced tub-engaging members, said pad having slots at its upper edge corresponding in number and spacing to the tub-engaging members, where by tongue-like ortions are formed beside and between the s ots, and two-piece separable fasteners having their members engaged respectively with the extremities of the tonguelike portlons of the body of the pad inwardly thereof for coengagement to form loops, said bar being engaged therein.

ln'testimony'whereof I afiix my si ature. MITGHEL ST RN:

6. and 8 may be formed integrally in which case the stud is formed large enoughto have a tight pressed fit in 

